CL winter 09-10 - Evangelical Church Library Association

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tionale for his position. The result is a streamlined version of an earlier work, The Word of God in English. Using a focused and exemplified approach, Ryken, an English professor, begins with questions to guide the evaluation of a translation, an in-depth history of English Bible development, and the divergence of the two main methods of Bible translation. He prefers the literal one but attempts to compare various nonliteral translations through quotations and discussion of highlighted material. He explains in detail the points of dynamic equivalence and literal views. The tables and charts allow users to read exact quotes to determine the accuracy of Ryken’s observations. Two appendices, a notes section, and an index complete the book. Recommended for church libraries. BLE WORDS FROM THE FIRE: Hearing the Voice of God in the 10 Commandments by R. Albert Mohler, Jr. Moody, 978-0-8024-5488-1, HB, 200 pages, $22.99 Mohler, a seminary president, preacher, and theologian, emphasizes the Ten Commandments as important words from a God who is heard but not seen. He explores the biblical context and deeper meanings of each commandment, giving Christians a taste of what it means for them to relate today to coveting, stealing, bearing false witness, and other sins. The sins and rules don’t change, but their expanded applications bear analysis and careful thought. The book’s tone is sermonlike, but it is rich in content. Chapters are broken into subsections for easier reading. Aside from a few unfamiliar terms and some necessarily complex thought processes, Mohler’s writing is understandable and applicable. Words from the Fire offers a fresh, but sound biblical look at an ancient, but essential text. LAC 16 16 Church Libraries • Spring 2010 B B O O O O K K R R E E V V I I E E W W S S THE ZONDERVAN ENCYCLOPE- DIA OF THE BIBLE edited by Merrill C. Tenney, revision edited by Moisés Silva Zondervan, 978-0-310-24136-2, HB, 5520 pages, 5 volumes, $279.99 If you don’t have a recent set of Bible encyclopedias in your library, this one is an excellent choice. First published in the mid-’70s, the text has been updated extensively, and full-color has been added. Articles detail people, places, events, theological concepts, and biblical and literary terms. Where Christians disagree, such as the number and efficacy of sacraments and Christ’s second coming, writers present the differing viewpoints without taking a side. Photos, maps, charts, and graphs illustrate the text. Dr. Silva, a former seminary professor and author of several commentaries, has added the latest in biblical scholarship and archaeological finds to the solid foundation of Tenney’s previous work. The result is a good balance of understandable text and scholarship. Teachers, Bible students, parents, and your pastoral staff will all appreciate access to this reference set. Highly recommended. LJ ZONDERVAN ILLUSTRATED BI- BLE BACKGROUNDS COMMEN- TARY: Old Testament edited by John H. Walton Zondervan, 978-0-310-25572-7, HB, 2770 pages, 5 volumes, $249.95 Teachers, Bible students, smallgroup leaders, and your pastoral staff will use this set frequently. Like the New Testament set, these full-color volumes provide a rich array of background helps for understanding the entire Old Testament: passage-by-passage commentaries, manners and customs information, historical and literary settings, geography, photos, maps, charts, latest archaeological findings, and much more. Dr. Walton, an Old Testament professor, has pulled together an impres- sive team of writers, most of whom are also Old Testament professors. Volumes 1-3 are in biblical order; but volume 4 covers the major prophets, and volume 5 covers the minor prophets and poetry. The layout is easy to read and visually appealing. Each book contains bibliographies, extensive documentation in endnotes, and a picture index. This reference set is a must-buy for every church and high-school library. And if you don’t have the New Testament set, get that one as well. Both are well worth the cost. LJ Biography & Memoir LOVE HAS A FACE by Michele Perry Chosen, 978-0-8007-9478-1, PB, 217 pages, $13.99 Love Has a Face is a vivid recounting of Perry’s first years starting a home for children in war-torn Sudan. She captures the suffering in the land and has the ability to make the reader connect with the struggles. Her stories are like parables of Christian dedication and beliefs. The language is informal, making this autobiography a fairly easy book to read. However, the stories Perry tells of life in the African bush are anything but easy. Although her syntax seems contrived and clichéd at times, the overarching message redeems any shortcomings in the writing. The story is rife with episodes of miraculous healings and supernatural activity. Highly recommended for Christians needing encouragement to believe in the power of God. RK THIN PLACES: A Memoir by Mary E. DeMuth Zondervan, 978-0-310-28418-5, PB, 221 pages, $14.99 DeMuth vividly outlines her past,
sparing no detail. Going through the years, she finds all the “thin places” where she now sees God intervening in her life. God was with her through sexual abuse as a child, her struggles with her need for a father, and her feelings of inadequacy. DeMuth, a freelance writer, is brave for telling her painful life story in a book; but her order of events is hard to follow and her word choices are edgy and controversial at times. Certain scenes are somewhat graphic. This book is not for the sheltered and unworldly. KT Children Preschool & Early Readers CECIL THE LOST SHEEP 978-0-310-71944-1 THE GOOD SAMARITAN 978-0-310-71945-8 JED & ROY MCCOY 978-0-310-71955-7 JONAH’S STORY 978-0-310-71948-9 ZAC THE TAX MAN 978-0-310-71949-6 Cecil & Friends by Andrew McDonough Zonderkidz, PB, 30 pages, $4.99 Author and illustrator McDonough’s series for children ages 4-7 tells loose spoofs of cherished Bible stories. The stylized cartoons in each book display a scattering of subtle comedies simple enough for kids to understand and tend to show repeated themes, which are fun for children to pick up on. For example, he frequently takes illustrations from early in a story and puts similar, but slightly different pictures at the end of the story, clearly showing transitions of characters and events. B B O O O O K K R R E E V V I I E E W W S S McDonough seasons the story of the Good Shepherd in Cecil the Lost Sheep by personifying the sheep and adding elements of comic relief. The illustrations depict the shepherd as counting sheep on his fingers, and Cecil’s wild imagination may yield a couple of chuckles as well. This book, which ranks high among these five, is particularly effective in its placement of multiple illustrations per page. The retelling of the Good Samaritan packs an important message for young ears. However, I consulted a young reader, who said that although this was her favorite book of the five, she felt the illustrations of the beaten man and his assailants seemed more “weird” than funny or stylized. She also thought the author could have leant significance to the story by explaining the antagonism between Samaritans and Jews. Jed & Roy McCoy puts a clever spin on the nativity story and the angels’ message of “peace on earth” by telling the story from the perspective of two feuding shepherd brothers. Children may pick up on the silliness of the McCoy brothers’ accusations toward each other; and they may also be amused by funny details in the pictures. The story of Jonah is retold in a softened, kid friendly format. For example, when describing Nineveh’s depravity, the book does not gloss over the subject but neither does it shock children with barbaric details. Instead, McDonough takes some license and adds a taste of humor. Repetitious appearances of Jonah’s teddy bear, a peeking whale, and several other recurrent themes encourage readers to explore the story and find patterns. The wild retelling of the story of Zaccheus cleverly crafts a backstory for Zac, starting with his elementaryschool days. Many young readers will empathize with Zac when he is mistreated because of his shortness. Zac’s greed escalates after a moneymaking homework scandal, and he eventually becomes the tree-climbing tax collector whom Jesus befriends. Young readers will enjoy watching Zac and a handful of his classmates “age” before their eyes with the passage of time. DN THE DAY THE WORLD WENT WACKY 978-0-89051-575-4 NOAH’S FLOATING ANIMAL PARK 978-0-89051-576-1 THE NOT-SO-FUNNY SKYSCRAP- ER! 978-0-89051-577-8 by Janine Suter Master Books, HB, 31 pages, $9.99 These books tackle difficult questions that they try to answer in honest, but nonthreatening ways by using cartoonish drawings, rhyming verses, and contemporary slang. In The Day the World Went Wacky, a boy wonders why bees sting, his aunt is blind, and children get cavities. He learns that Adam and Eve’s sin has been passed down through the generations. The Earth is tainted, as are the people in it; but Jesus has provided a way to cope with this fallen state. One day we will live in a perfect heavenly home with Him if we accept His plan of redemption. In Noah’s Floating Animal Park, God directs Noah and his family to build the giant ark. The author speculates about taking baby dinosaurs on board to save on space and about rigging conveyorbelt feeding systems to feed all the animals. In the end, the ark hits dry land near Turkey; and the animals run in different directions, with kangaroos traveling the farthest. The Not-So-Funny Skyscraper! is the story of the tower of Babel. Nimrod decides to build a tower to heaven and be like God. In response, God makes different groups of the city’s citizens speak different languages. This causes them to break into groups and move into lands both near and far to be Church Libraries • Spring 2010 17 17
Page 1 and 2: Church Church Libraries Libraries P
Page 3 and 4: Church Libraries Volume 39, Number
Page 5 and 6: Promotional Hooks APRIL School Libr
Page 7 and 8: P P R R O O M M O O T T I I O O N N
Page 9 and 10: WHAT MAKES THIS ATLAS “NEW”?
Page 11 and 12: completing their course of study su
Page 13 and 14: There are also some good Internet s
Page 15 and 16: about returning within the first se
Page 17: Bible & Theology THE DICTIONARY OF
Page 21 and 22: cally, it is lacking. Angels are sh
Page 23 and 24: size awareness of our own spiritual
Page 25 and 26: world. Clawson gives practical advi
Page 27 and 28: Becoming Lucy stays true to the his
Page 29 and 30: western romance. Pastor Justin Well
Page 31 and 32: Be forewarned, however. History buf
Page 33 and 34: Contemporary ALIVE AGAIN by Matt Ma
Page 35 and 36: ECLA Conference CDs/Tapes Check the

CL winter 09-10 - Evangelical Church Library Association

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